SUSCEPTIBILITY OF EUROPEAN AND AFRICANIZED HONEYBEES (APIS-MELLIFERA L) AND THEIR HYBRIDS TO VARROA-JACOBSONI OUD

This study was conducted to determine ii European, Africanized, and hy brid honeybees differ in susceptibility to Varroa infestation and to d etermine if Varroa differentially reproduce on different types of broo d. European brood was twice as attractive to female Varroa compared to Africanized brood, while hybrid brood was equally or more attractive than European brood. European adult workers were twice as susceptible to infestation as Africanized bees, whereas hybrid workers were not di fferent from Africanized bees. Varroa reproduced on more than 69% of t he infested hybrid brood, and on less than 52% of the Africanized and European broods, suggesting differences in host suitability for reprod uction. Mite reproduction did not vary between European and Africanize d brood. Genetic effects could explain some of these results. Other pl ausible hypotheses that could explain these results, and the implicati ons of these findings on commercial and feral populations of honeybees are discussed.